Drug-facilitated crimes involve the use of drugs to alter the consciousness of the victim so as to sexually assault or steal from them.
This problem is especially rampant in college scene and many people have learned the hard way when it comes to monitoring their drinks as they attempt to ensure they are not drugged.
A student decided to get creative with the problem by offering a solution that ensures that when someone slips a drug into your drink you can be able to find out what could be in your drink before drinking.
"In the summer of 2016, while studying abroad in Spain, my friend drugged and assaulted me. It was the first time I actually became aware of the issue and it became very personal," Danya Sherman, a junior at George Washington University, told WTOP.
Shortly after the attack, she enrolled in Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership, which she said changed her life. Students were required to create a business and enter it into the university's 2017 New Venture Competition.
Sherman's creation, KnoNap, was one of the winners. The napkin slogan is: "The Napkin that Knows."
"Each napkin looks and acts like a regular napkin. The only thing is that on each corner, you just take a drop of your drink, and if there's drug presence indicated, there'll be a clear color change next to where you put your drink," Sherman said.
KnoNap is not just for women: "The issue of drug-facilitated assault can affect anyone, regardless of gender or sexual orientation." She explained, "Our napkin tests for a class of drugs called benzodiazepines. Those include Rohypnol, Xanax, Valium — the drugs that are commonly used on and around college campuses as rape drugs."
"Our product tests for at least 26 of 40 most commonly used drugs as rape drugs."
There’s another product that’s similar to the market. Known as DrinkSafe, which tests for just two drugs: ketamine and GHB. The university has provided Sherman with a seed funding and more business help from Halcyon Incubator, which focuses on early-stage social ventures.
Sherman’s company is currently working with manufacturers, and a Kickstarter campaign is planned for spring. She said the napkin will be available for sale as soon as the end of the year.
Sounds like a great idea, just sad that we need to worry about getting drugged and assaulted these days.